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SBIR/STTR

Advanced Spacecraft Thermal Modeling, Phase I

Project Introduction

For spacecraft developers who spend millions to billions of dollars per unit and require 3 to 7 years to deploy, the LoadPath reduced-order (RO) modeling thermal design tool is an innovative software tool that will significantly reduce labor costs and effort associated with the design and analysis of spacecraft thermal control systems. Unlike traditional approaches that take weeks to months to develop and obtain results, our approach can provide results in seconds to minutes. This proposed Phase I effort includes the development of a RO spacecraft thermal model utilizing a combination of a high-resolution thermal model, Latin Hypercube space-filling approaches, and Gaussian Process methods. Combined, these key components have the capability to provide a spacecraft thermal modeling software tool that provides thermal results, on average, within 3K of high-resolution models. In addition to its accuracy, the thermal software tool will be able to provide these results almost instantaneously. The ability to obtain results quickly is especially advantageous during design stages. In addition, it is especially useful for parametric studies. Parametric studies that could easily take days to complete, due to computational expense, can be completed within minutes utilizing the proposed software tool.
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Anticipated Benefits

The proposed design tool will enable the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate's (HEOMD) chartered responsibilities of 1) conducting technology development and demonstrations to reduce costs of future human space flight and 2) enabling U.S. commercial human spaceflight capabilities, by providing a tool that will reduce the cost and time required for design and analysis of spacecraft thermal control systems (TCS). The proposed technology will also benefit unmanned NASA missions requiring TCS design. The National Research Council (NRC) Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board identified top technical challenges and highest priority technologies across all 14 NASA space technology roadmaps. Based on the items identified in the study, thermal control systems are a key, enabling technology that contributes to the advancement of many of the top technical challenges and the highest priority technologies. The proposed reduced-order thermal design tool will be able to contribute to overcoming the obstacles of these technical challenges.
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